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Humanities LibreTexts

Creating Literary Analysis

  • Page ID
    14754
    • Anonymous
    • LibreTexts
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    Most literature students are introduced to literary theory and writing about literature as separate subjects, though the two are intimately linked in the practice of literary scholarship. Literary scholarship is guided by literary theories and expressed through writing; it doesn’t make sense to learn each in isolation. Literary theories are intellectual models that scholars use to understand stories, novels, poems, plays, and other texts. Different theories prioritize different historical, social, or methodological concerns. The authors believe students of literature should learn about many literary theories so they can discover which interpretive tools work best for them when they write about literature in their classes (and beyond). This book aims to help students build up a personal toolbox of interpretive possibilities.

    Thumbnail: Old book bindings at the Merton College library. Image used with permission (CC BY-SA 3.0; Tom Murphy VII)


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